Rusty Knives, and Hallowed Ghosts
by Dr.Archangel
Summary: 8 years after Emily's ascension. Two unlikely hero's under one goal, three new bearer's of the mark, and a band of assassins at their side. All against a fate that's been in play for years.
1. Honest Beginnings

**I thought it'd be a good break to have a fresh start on Dishonored. Anyway this origin ought to be more original than the last, if it doesn't make sense, let me know through PM or review, and if you have any thought's or opinion's, please review.**

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Another day with the same routine for Jessamine Kaldwin. Walking in her casual, purple dress, with her hair in a ponytail in the shape of a rose, she just finished her history lessons. Passing her, she spotted the adults talking with her father, talking about grown up stuff. The worst part, there's no friends to spend time with. The only friend she has is the baker's apprentice, Delilah, but as of today, she's leaving to learn from Anton Sokolov. She stomps into her bedroom to open her window so she can think of anything but reality. The breeze of the outside is mesmerizing, she welcomes the kisses from nature. It glides into her long black hair to dance around her face. The sun's rays seep into her skin, making her feel stronger. Everything she's been through is now fading for the moment. But it was ruined when the horn of a ship blew, but then again it could brighten her mood. This one ship was coming back from Serkonos, and Jessamine's father knew how much his daughter loves Serkonan grapes. Of course there was the delicious pudding of blood sausages for him, and for the bakers.

Jessamine remembers her father, Emperor Hale. Telling her of today's shipment; Grapes, but also new silk dresses, more books, and artwork from the cultures of the beautiful land of sunny beaches. Though what Jessamine really wanted were of course the grapes "_Those delicious, green grapes of sour goodness! I could eat those all day!_" says Jessamine.

Jessamine smiles to her excitement. She sprints down the stairs to find her father, and accompanies him to meet the sailors. Jessamine can see her that her father is already at the docks, but luckily her friend Delilah was waiting for her outside of the front door. Delilah gives her a hug, and they walk to the docks together.

"So… When do you leave for Sokolov?" Jessamine said as she looks down to the ground.

Delilah's face drops the moment she sees Jessamine's face frown "I… I'm leaving now. My ship is down this way." She stops them in their tracks "But hey listen! Don't you worry, I'll write to you every week. Hey, I'm sure you'll find a new friend. Maybe another baker's apprentice, a cleaner, a servant, or who knows, maybe your next friend will be a boy?" Delilah tries to rise up her friend's sunken heart. She does manage to crack a smile, at least.

"What? A boy?!" Jessamine felt herself blush in those words.

"Yeah, a boy...! You know what, never mind that now, let's get some grapes. I'm aching for'em!" Delilah changes the subject to keep her good mood alive. Jessamine smiles the same to the thought of Serkonan grapes.

Arriving at the docks, Jessamine finds her father with his body guard, Donnor, and with the dock inspector "Alright son, give me a report." Hale, the emperor asks to the young sailor.

"Okay let's see, for Dunwall tower; a crate of Serkonan grapes, two crates of blood sausages, Serkonan wine, some clothes for you and your family. Oh, and your request of books, and artwork from Serkonos. Everything else goes to Dunwall, and the city watch." The sailor nods to Hale's daughter, and her friend. He's emphasizing that the rest isn't necessary for kids to hear. He nods in agreement, and turns to his daughter.

From the sound of another horn at the other side, Delilah then turns to Jessamine with her expected sad news "Hey Jessamine, I gotta go now, my boat is leaving at the front gate. Goodbye!" Delilah's face turns sad, as she put her hand on jessamine's shoulders. Jessamine just nods, and wave's goodbye to her only friend.

Her father pays sympathy to his daughter's moment of solace, but her face light's back up with the smell thought of Serkonan grapes

"Alright let's get those grapes cleaned, and sorted! My daughter has been itching for more of those grapes." Emperor Hale orders.

Jessamine could sense a slight chuckle of humor in her father's words, but she doesn't care.

Two more sailors came with crowbars to pry open the crate, but they were halted by the commotion in the cargo hold "You piece of whale spit, get back here!-" The outburst alerted the emperor, his body guard and Jessamine "That's Dunwall property!"

"A thief?!" The emperor spits.

The ship captain shows up with his sword out "My liege, we need to get you to safety, there's a thief somewhere in this vicinity!"

"What did this thief steal?" Hale demands the answer.

"We're not sure, everything was still under inspection. He could've stolen anything! He's probably somewhere in the tower by now" The captain is somewhat baffled in his words.

Hale gently wads his fists to keep his stress under control "Alright, Donnor! Take Jessamine, and keep her in her room, safe!"

Donnor pulls out one of his two blades, and bows to the emperor "My lord"

The alarm goes off the moment Donnor takes Jessamine's hand. They run towards the tower, Jessamine tries her best to keep up with her father's body guard, but Donnor is trying not to go too fast. Back inside the main building, Donnor and Jessamine race up the stairs to make it back to her room. He makes a quick inspection around for any traces of the thief, and nothing; the one and only window has not been broken into, not opened, or shows any signs of entry. Donnor then locks the closed window, and the ringing alarm seals the window under lockdown.

"Okay, I'll be outside this door, I promise you, you'll be safe."

Back inside her room, Jessamine hides underneath her bed. For the time as the alarm's ring in her ears, she just remembered something that didn't fit in her mind "_I left that window open today._" Jessamine says in her mind. Which means the thief was here! She starts shaking in her jaws. Her thoughts make her feel cold, the fact that the thief was somewhere in here, or maybe he still is. She looks to her closet, and slowly comes out from under her bed. She was about to tiptoe to the front door, but then she hears mumbles of chewing in her closet. She was scared out of her mind. The curiosity of her fear redirects her mind to the closet, hoping that it was just her fearful imagination. Slowly treading to the doorknob, to peak through the keyhole. Her hands shake vigorously as she sneaks to her closet. Through her closet's keyhole, what she saw isn't what she expected.

Behind the closet door is a boy, in wet and molded clothes. He looks to be Jessamine's age, with dark hair and a slender jawed face. He was wrestling for stuff in a bag, Jessamine assumes it's the uninspected property he stole. It was a small bag of food. "_That's all he stole, food?_" Jessamine thinks.

From the looks of it, it wasn't from the shipment from Serkonos; he had cans of brined fish, canned whale meat, and a big tin of jellied eels. He devoured the whole bag in just two minutes. Jessamine witnessed the whole thing. A cold, starving boy, hiding in her closet. As he was digging in the bottom of the bag, Jessamine saw him lick the bottom of the dirty bag. Jessamine cried, seeing this boy suffer. She looked to the top of her dresser and found a loaf of bread "_This must've been here earlier today, during class._" Jessamine thought. She treads vigilant to get to the food. She takes the plate, but before she even thinks about lunging her hand for that door, she takes a deep breath, and thinks brave thoughts. Jessamine takes one more peep in the keyhole, and finds him shivering in his damp clothes. She slowly opens the door, trying not to startle the boy. The boy catches the sound, and jerks his sights to the source. He sees Jessamine, in her glossy purple dress, and her radiant hair. He begins to blush momentarily, until he sees Jessamine freeze in place. Like the same color of fear as the boy, she herself drains in a pale color of fear. She could see dry tears under his shocked eyes, the boy then crawls fast to the other end of the closet with his back against the wall. He begins to sob fresh tears, and Jessamine realizes. This boy is far more scared than she is. It gives her a bit more bravery, but more responsibility in what she's doing. She slowly walks towards the boy. About half way between each other, Jessamine lowers the plate of bread. She backs towards the door, and takes a seat on the floor. He quietly dashes for the loaf of bread on all fours like an animal, and starts jamming it inside his mouth. Jessamine then takes the courage to speak.

"You must've been through a lot?" She murmurs in a volume where the boy can hear her tone of voice.

He just nods, yes, and goes back to the bread. Jessamine starts to feel a little more comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to ask him a couple of questions "What's your name? Did you come from Serkonos?"

The boy looks at her and it takes a good minute for the boy to speak of his name "…C-Corvo… Attano. Yes… I came from the, the ship. Yes."

Jessamine just stares at the starving boy whose name is Corvo Attano. She stands back up, and leaves to go back into her room. Pulling her sheets from underneath her blanket, she comes back to offer them to Corvo. Corvo slowly reaches for the sheets, Jessamine just drops her grip on the sheet in Corvo's hands. He just lays where he stands, and sleeps like a rock. Jessamine thinks it would be safe to know that the search for the so-called "thief" was just a starving boy. She knocks on her door to talk to Donnor.

"What is it Jess?" Donnor calls to Jessamine by her nickname.

"There's no thief. He's just a boy that stole food from the sailor's rations. He's asleep in my closet" She says to Donnor with no sense of regret.

"What! He's in here?! Stand back!" Donor pushes Jessamine back to defend her well-being. He saw the sleeping boy inside Jessamine's roomy closet. He charges to him, and takes hold of the sleeping boy's collar. Bracing him on the wall, hard.

"Donnor don't hurt him!" Jessamine pleads.

"Jessamine! Get outta here! This is not your concern!" Donner braces his strong arms on Corvo's collar.

Jessamine tries to pull Donor away from Corvo, but she's no help. Corvo can see her tears swell around her eyes.

A fire ignites from inside his eyes. His face tightens around his eyes, anger is growing in his blood. He raises his arms and slams his fist on Donnor's wrists. Donor drops Corvo back on the floor, and then he reaches for Donnor's blade. Avoiding to bump into Jessamine, he runs for the door to the hallway, but Donnor catches him again, from the back of his shirt. Corvo then tosses his blade into the air, and slides his arms out of his sleeves. He catches the blade in time before it hits the floor. Facing his attacker, he takes a fighting stance.

Donnor can see the determination in Corvo's face. Donnor has seen this face before, it was the same look every soldier makes. A look where soldiers prove their worth, with the experience they've been taught. He gives this boy a smirk to show his compliments on skills at such an early age. He unsheathes his second blade, takes a bow, following Corvo. Corvo takes the first lunge, Donnor parries his thrust with ease. Giving him the chance to strike back. He makes a thrust to knock him out, but Corvo dips into the direction of his blade, perfect agility. Different sides of the fight, Donnor then takes a full swing for the boy, but Corvo side steps out of the way. Corvo's completely active for an attack on Donnor now. Instead of going with his blade, he just pushes Donnor to the wall, breaking the framed artwork on impact. Donnor rolls to his blade, and makes for a stab, but Corvo does more than just parry. Corvo manages to hook his blade into Donnor's grip, and toss the blade away from his hand. Corvo wants to show his stance in superiority, but his stomach begins cramping, and falls to the ground. He almost vomits his food, but it miraculously passes. The last person he saw before going under darkness, he saw Jessamine.

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Heavy panting in Emily's lungs. She awakes from an unsuspecting dream of Corvo's first day at Dunwall tower. Corvo lies half asleep in a chair the whole time in the corner. Empress Emily herself lies in her bed, startled in her sheets. Emily wipes the sheets from her body, and rubs her temples, to try and make sense of what that dream was all about. That was the first of any dream of anything like that. Underneath the moonlit night, she steps out onto the patio and breathes in the cool, soft air.

She turns to Corvo to wake him up "Hey Corvo! Wake up, it's time!"

His face instantly jumps into action. Then he feels the tiredness catch up with him. Shifting his hands on his knees to get himself off the chair, what Emily is talking about finally clicks inside his head.

"Oh by the outsider! Is it really that time of the year?!" Corvo's still under heavy eyelids.

"Yes! It's mother's birthday. Com'mon let's go see her!"

"Alright, let me get our stuff."

As Emily waits at the patio, Corvo comes out with all their stuff for the occasion. Emily then asks Corvo a question she and him already knows. Because she asks the question every year, and all Corvo does to respond is the same "Corvo, have I been doing a good job as Empress?"

Corvo gives his Empress the same smile he gave to her mother. A Confident, and full pledged smile with both dimples showing.

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**Better? At first it was Corvo's dream, but I think Emily dreaming that whole flashback would make more sense. Let me know in the reviews or PM. Shout's to Lavendar Fox, my proof reader, and mentor.**


	2. The Hallowed Ghost

**Everyone! I am so sorry for deleting my stories, but I couldn't handle the stress of juggling all of those stories. Again I am SO SORRY! Maybe I'll have a few oneshots but that'll be it. Borderlands New Faces New Tyrant is under Hiatus until a friend of mine is done with her story. Until then I'll be working on Dishonored. Enjoy!**

**Here is an answer to the review from my friend Chatty: If it was Corvo that had the dream, we'd see the dream from his perspective only. The entire flashback was split between him and Jessamine's point of view. I thought it'd be smart to have someone dream this who wasn't there at all.**

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"Alright Emily, are you ready?" Corvo asks to his Empress.

"Yes, let's get to the gazebo." Emily says upon grasping her body guard's right hand.

Corvo raises his left hand and whispers the word "_Sol_". Corvo and Emily are blinked to Jessamine's grave.

Emily still doesn't feel right with all that's happened, even if it has been eight years. She can remember everything about herself and her city. She was an innocent little ten-year old at the time. During then when her people were starving and falling victim to the old, rat plague. She felt so weak at the time, but every time she looks at herself in a mirror these days, she's looks to be a real, beautiful woman. Her long, dark locks of hair sweep across her shoulders just like her mother's did, when she was alive. She could see herself turning into a real noble woman. Again, just like her mother.

Corvo and Emily walk up further to Jessamine's grave, and pull out a couple of apple tarts. Emily pulls out some candles to light, while Corvo pours out some Gristol cider for them. They pull out a couple of chairs, and they raise a glass to Jessamine's birthday. Corvo chugs the entire snifter in one go, but only Emily takes a sip. Corvo knows this feeling all too well, she has this look every year.

"Emily, you know your mom would be proud of you." Corvo reassures to Emily.

"Oh! Oh it's not that, I just… I had this strange dream." Emily looks at the shaking golden cider in her own snifter. She turns her head to see him confused. So she tells her Royal Protector about the dream, starting with a question "How did you and mom meet?" Now Corvo's face tightens with confusion. Emily keeps going "I had this dream of how you and my mom met, you were stowed away on a ship from Serkonos, you were hiding in her closet, she came inside to feed you and she had this other body guard named Donnor. You fought him, and won." Now his face just jolts down in relaxation, but shocked.

"…You dreamt all that?" Corvo stutters.

"Yes. But did all of that really happen?" Emily almost sounded like she was begging.

"Yes, that's how I came to Dunwall tower. All of that is true, and it actually happened." Corvo said with a hint of regret, and fondness.

Emily's face froze in shock. How could she dream or envision that day? That is the question that keeps racing in her mind.

Corvo just slumps in his seat while going down memory lane, but that drops when he senses a heartbeat. His old heart device is beating, but it's not in his possession at the moment. Then the beautifully, skulking voice of Jessamine nags in his head. After eight years of silence, it's working alone, and away from his hands.

"_He's on his way, the one who started all of this!"_ the voice rings in his head.

Corvo jumps out of his seat, and pulls out a city watch blade. Emily looks startled as much as Corvo.

"Did you hear a voice, Emily?" Corvo says with fear in his tone.

"Mothers? Yes!" Emily answers, but Corvo was hoping she'd say no.

"_Here he comes! Any moment now, he'll be right behind you and Emily."_ The voice raspers in their ears.

Corvo and Emily jerk themselves to find the one that Jessamine's voice is talking about, but no one is there, just the patrolling guards in the distance.

"I'm still behind you." A voice all too familiar to Corvo says towards Jessamine's grave.

They turn back to her grave, and find "The Outsider" staring down on her grave. Corvo just slowly lowers his blade back in the holster.

"What do you want, Outsider?" Corvo blurts with no thought.

"Oh… I just came to see you two." He makes no eye contact, he now kneels down on Jessamine's grave as if he actually developed feelings.

"Us two?" Emily finally speaks up.

The Outsider finally makes eye contact, but there isn't much to look at, his eyes are as blank as a dead man's face. Those black eyes are as empty as he last saw him "Yes, both of you. Of course we all know I've already met both of you; Emily, you and I have met once. Corvo, you bare my mark, and yet you hardly use it ever since Emily ascended the throne. Also, is it true the people call you the _'Ghost of Dunwall'_?" The Outsider isn't wrong, then again when is he not?

Corvo pauses in his stance, and breathing for only a moment. He regains his posture as he speaks "They called the masked assassin the _'Ghost of Dunwall'_. I'm just Corvo Attano. I buried all of that years ago. The Ghost of Dunwall, the masked assassin is no longer needed. All this world needs is Corvo Attano, the Royal Protector."

The Outsider looks like he's laughing, he tries not to show it too much. He lets out all his urges to break, and holds onto who he is. "Corvo, I give you my mark and now all you use is my teleportation power? I don't know whether to be disappointed at you, or correct you. Maybe I can kill two sharks with one stone; The Ghost of Dunwall will always be needed as long as you continue to use my bestowed powers." The outsider starts walking around them both. "If you want to be the Royal Protector again, you will need to give me back your mark, the powers, and all the deeds you've done with the help of my mark. Make your choice?"

Corvo was completely knocked down by those words. The Golden age of Dunwall would never have happened without them. All Corvo could do is decline by balling his fist and sneak his hand in his pocket.

"As I thought. Still, you really think burying your tools, and barely using my powers can make you Royal Protector again?" The Outsider doesn't let him answer "Corvo, my mark and all those weapons never made you the Ghost of Dunwall. Yes, you may have tried to bury those things, but it's not the tools, or the powers. It's the choices you've made with those tools. So naïve! The Royal Protector doesn't exist anymore, he never came back. Emily Kaldwin's body guard has always been the Ghost of Dunwall." The Outsider stops in his tracks, in front of Corvo and Emily. "Well, as much as I want to keep talking, we can't do it here. We need to go the void."

"Why the void?" Emily asks.

"Because the rest of us needs to hear all of this." The Outsider answers

"The rest?" Corvo wonders, but his answer didn't come, because the Outsider is already sending them to the void with him.

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**This is only half of the overall chapter, I think it'll be better if we split this part of the story in half. The next chapter will be with another set of characters. We already met the Hallowed Ghost, but what about the Rusty Knife?**

**Review, and tell me how it was.**


	3. Revenge vs Redemption

**Now my readers, here's Corvo's dream. Here we will discover who the "Rusty Knife" is. Enjoy!**

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Corvo crouches atop the edge of the book case. Watching Daud, his prey, circling around his office with only one whaler for supervision.

Another Whaler barges through the door "Master!"

"What is it?!" Daud doesn't sound pleased to be disturbed. Corvo watches the entire conversation roll out, still atop of the book case.

"Corvo's vanished from confinement, from the whole area, and the men on duty swear they saw absolutely nothing. It sounds impossible, I know. The greaves refinery restarted. What do you make of it?"

Daud just stands there in his red trench coat, completely expressionless "That he knows your work better than you do. Deal with the sentries as you see fit. As for Corvo, he will come to me here. He has to."

What Daud just said, Corvo almost felt some tense rub off of his shoulders, but he's still determined to kill him. That's all Corvo wanted to do to Daud; Overseer Campbell, the Pendleton twins, Waverly Boyle, and even Hiram Burrows. They meant nothing to Corvo. They're all out of the way, still alive, and suffering, but Daud. All Corvo wanted for Daud was to give him a piece of his mind. An eye for an eye, he pulls out his wheel lock pistol and takes aim for his head.

Daud starts walking to a voice recorder, he must be instating his final words. Just as Corvo is about to pull the trigger, he begins to hesitate. Corvo wants to hear this.

"So you've lost it all. Ruined at last. Lord Regent, Royal Spymaster, Hiram Burrow. You small worried man. You'll never know how many times I've thought about trying to get close to you. Just to put a piece of sharp metal in your eye. But now there's no need. You've been taken down by the same apparatus that gave you life to begin with; Laws and courtrooms, and the might swell of the public outrage. Good riddance to you. So many schemes you had, and so many contracts. How many people did I kill for you? None like the last. None like her. I'd give back all the coin. No one should have to kill an empress." As he recorded his thought's he walks towards a drawing of Empress Jessamine. Corvo couldn't see his face, but he could tell that Daud felt sympathy in his actions.

Corvo felt his chest shiver through his spine. His eyes opened wider than ever. Did he just hear Daud, the "Knife of Dunwall" apologize to himself. Corvo wanted to cry, but this wasn't the time for him to be sentimental.

Leaving the perch of the bookshelf, he decided to not shoot Daud, but go see his sleeping quarters. Corvo found some books, journals, and a recent article of his framed murder. What really caught his attention was his latest journal entry. It talks about Daud's thoughts of when he realized that Corvo is from Serkonos, just as Daud was himself. The memories of his old life in Serkonos is a serious blur, but it somehow felt good to find about someone who as well was from the "Jewel of the South". Corvo gave it some serious thought, and decided to do this maturely.

Corvo shot a sleep dart at the one whaler, and jumped down from the book shelf. Daud didn't even flinch at the incident. Just as he was about to pull out his blade, Corvo gave him a halt with his hand. "Now Daud. Before we begin, I must ask. With or without rules?" Just as Corvo made his offer, a slew of whalers blinked all around him.

"Stand down! These rules are between Corvo and me." Daud ordered his men, and they all dispersed. One of the assassins picked up the unconscious whaler Corvo tranquilized. The only living beings in the room are Corvo and Daud.

"Now then, the rules are simple-" Corvo stopped his sentence there. Following, he dropped his pistol, and crossbow on the floor. In fact he even undid his mask, revealing his true face. Daud was caught in shock by the familiarity of his looks. Last time he saw it was when he killed Jessamine. It's safe to officially call Corvo, Serkonan, in Daud's eyes.

"I never really liked this mask." Corvo says as he tucks his mask in his jacket.

Being respectful to Corvo's request, Daud unhooked his wristbow, and sat it on the table. "A wristbow?" Corvo didn't realize, interesting, he thought.

"Wristbow? Surprising!" Corvo says, to try and be a little charismatic.

"Powers permitted?" Daud asked, tightening his glove.

Corvo gave a small chuckle "Yes."

"Good!" Instantly Daud froze time, scariest thing is, that both Corvo and Daud were still moving. Daud unsheathed his blade, and spoke his mind. "And now we fight. The duel that no two others could fight, against the ticking of the clock."

Corvo unlocked his blade, and swung it to the side. Daud and Corvo now fight.

Daud drags Corvo in with his "pull" power, but instead of fighting it, Corvo uses it and charges after Daud. Sparks flew as their blades grinded on their sharp metal. Corvo Blinks farther away from Daud, to ready another charge, but actually he blinks two feet farther away and uses his windblast. He went flying towards his office. Paralyzed covered in paper, metal bolts and books. Corvo walks towards him. Daud finds his blade missing in all this mess of paper. So Corvo turns to a painting with a blade jabbed in it. Funny thing is, the painting is of the Lord Regent, and the Blade is stabbed in where his throat is painted. Corvo blinks to the painting, pulls out the blade, and tosses it to Daud.

"Get up!" Corvo orders.

Daud takes the blade and blinks away. Startled for a moment, Corvo switches to his Dark vision, and he finds him charging from behind. Swerving to his back direction, he finds Daud rushing to him. Corvo blocks the blow, but their blades lock. Right now it's just a game of Tug of war.

"Strike harder, you know I killed her!" Daud spits in Corvo's face.

Corvo broke the lock, and gives Daud a hook punch to the ribs. Daud jumps back to his feet, ready for the next blow. Corvo aims for a full swing, exposing his entire chest for a slice, but Daud just sweeps his feet to the side, dodging Corvo's fury. Daud gives him a good, hard kick to his thighs, which sends Corvo rolling to the other side.

Daud unfroze time, and walks to his enemy "Corvo please, you're not fighting Lady Boyle here!" Daud walks to Corvo, still on the ground and pulls out his own pistol underneath his jacket. Daud's going to kill Corvo, he should've known, he should not have felt sympathy for an assassin.

"Bastard! I should've expected this. In that case!" Corvo thought. Since Daud broke the rules, Corvo doesn't have to follow them either, he saw a tiny rat next to his crossbow. With quick thinking, he took possession of the rat's mind, and quickly escaped to reach for his crossbow.'

His crossbow is fully decked out with every upgrade Piero could make. Corvo shot two bolts at Daud before he could fire his pistol. Saddest thing is, Daud paused time again.

"BASTARD!" Corvo screams aloud.

Corvo then charges for Daud, full speed blade in hand, but instead of pulling Corvo in, Daud just unfreezes time again, and lets the two bolts Corvo shot, get him. Corvo fell on his stomach, and Daud walks to Corvo's injured self.

"This is who protected the Empress? The "Ghost of Dunwall"? I'm very disappointed!" Daud then pulls him up in the air again, just like the time at Dunwall tower's gazebo, when he killed Jessamine.

That's when he remembered; the will for vengeance he wanted, every day he felt it. Every day in the rotting cages of Coldridge prison, and every day as the "Ghost of Dunwall". If he were to defeat Daud, he needs that will of vengeance in his blood.

Daud then threw Corvo up to his sleeping quarters, and blinked up there to catchup with him. Corvo caught his fall, and landed on his feet. With no thinking at all, he tackled Daud so hard, they broke through the window behind Daud. They flew far enough to land on a platform of sheet metal on a collapsed building. They both quickly got up on their feet, Corvo almost forgot that his blade is still in his hand. Daud didn't forget about his blade either. Daud was the first to lunge for Corvo's heart, but he just swayed the direction of his blade with a simple parry. Corvo took aim for his exposure, but Daud ducked deeper and rolled back away from his swing. Daud aimed for a stab, but Corvo was able to stroke to the side just close enough to grab Daud's wrist, and throw him to a wall. Now it was Corvo's turn for a strike. Corvo just made a simple swing not for Daud, but for his blade. They locked blades, and Corvo managed to toss Daud's blade out of his hands, his blade fell into the murky waters. Corvo knew as of now, he has won.

"No more surprises Daud!" Corvo's eyes filled with the image, and fantasy of Daud's death.

Corvo turned Daud's attention to him, so that he can see his Grim Reaper.

In a pathetic act of a last resort, Daud makes a plea "Well I have one more surprise for you Corvo, I ask for my life."

Those words are disgraceful doses of poison to Corvo's ears. He'll kill him, here and now!

Daud continues his plea "When I killed your Empress, and took her daughter, something broke inside me. Now I want nothing but to leave this city, and fade from the memory of those who reside here. I've had enough killing." Corvo then grabs him by the throat, and rests the edge of his blade on his throat. "So my life is in your hands, make your choice."

Corvo doesn't care, he'll kill him no matter how he feels.

* * *

"Hey Corvo! Wake up, it's time!" Emily's voice echoes in Corvo's ears.

Corvo wakes up completely startled and gets up off his chair, the instant he hears Emily's voice. In a matter of moments, his vertigo of the morning shoots up inside him. Then he remembers what today is

"Oh by the outsider! Is it really that time of the year?!" Corvo's still under heavy eyelids.

"Yes! It's mother's birthday. Com'mon let's go see her!"

"Alright, let me get our stuff."

As Corvo goes to get the chairs, the bag of food, and candles he stops in his place, and asks himself.

"I wonder how Daud is doing. I hope he was serious about having enough killing?!"

* * *

**Now, how could Corvo say that about Daud? Corvo wanted him dead when he had his blade at his throat. You must be wondering what made Corvo made to still his blade at Daud's throat? Well, you'll have to wait for maybe a chapter or two.**

**Still at least we know who the "Rusty Knife" is, officially.**

**Reviews and PM's are always welcome. Please tell me how I did in their duel.**


	4. The Rusty Knife

**Time to see what the Rusty Knife has been up to.**

**(10/15/13) As i said when I posted this, I edited this. You will know the name of Billie's group.**

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(Four months after Emily's ascension)

Daud has been able to take a good seat on a one-way boat trip, back to his home, Serkonos. He is ready for a paid banishment; a new name, William, and a new life.

Stepping off the ship, and setting foot on land he hasn't felt in years. It's been so long he can actually smell the warm sandy beaches. Nothing to his name but 100,000 coins, he's definitely going to get along well with his old home.

A sailor came to him, greeted him with a handshake. "Hello, its William, right?"

"Yes, yes it is my good man. My name is William." Daud lies to the sailor. He tries not to sound how he usually talks. Trying to sound more formal.

"Well good, anyway I talked to your caretaker, your beach house is ready for your arrival. Here is the key, take care, William." The sailor then hands him a letter that contains the key to his new home. He walks away, back to other matters.

Daud opens his letter, and there was more than just a key, a small parchment of writing. "Go to the darkest ally in the Morris district. Help them! Once you do, tell them to go to the sewers up north to the bazar. I'll take care of them." At the bottom of the note were the initials "B.L.", Daud only knows one person who has those initials.

"Billie Lurk!" Daud whispers under his breath.

Walking to find a place to eat, in the saddest part of the Morris District. Daud's use to all this, knowing his old profession. He stumbles upon an auction stand, their selling slaves.

"Didn't think they still had slavery in Serkonos." Daud said to himself. The slave's, they look angry, and it caught Daud's interest. "Huh, I'm starting to feel like the outsider!" These slaves, they all look like the same age as Emily. Their faces carried the same look of Corvo's will of vengeance, the day he saw Jessamine was murdered. With familiar faces like those, Daud couldn't resist, but to see them.

"Hey! How much for all of them?" The entire crowd darted straight for Daud's face, and he didn't care.

"W-What?! Sure! Yeah sure, it'll be a grand total of 30,000. Got that much, sonny?" The Slaver wasn't sounding promising, he sounded a little scared. This did not make the problem harder for Daud. He stepped up on the stage, and talked to the slaver head to head.

"How about nothing, and I'll let you keep all of your limbs." Daud didn't change his face, he's well determined. His guards came, swords in hand.

The slaver chuckles "You… You're asking for a tombstone son!"

"Are you sure?" Daud's face shows no fear.

They don't respond, the two guards just lunge for Daud, but he manages to catch the blade, with only his grip. He kicks the first guy in the knee, knocking him out for the fight already. The other guy takes his swing, but Daud catches his wrist, bearing the blade. He breaks his arm to make the guard drop his blade. The second guard drops to the floor, leaving the slaver alone. Most of the crowd has already fled the area, except for the ones making bets on this fast fight.

"Gimme the slaves, and I'll let you keep all your limbs." Daud repeats.

The slaver just nods slightly and gives him the keys. He stays the blade, and the slaver runs for his life. He lets all the children slaves loose, but before they could run, he gives them something important.

"For those who want to make their own reason to live, head north which is this direction." Daud points "There you will find a sewer entrance, and some people who will take good care of you. You won't regret it, and don't worry, they're not slavers, just people who I know will take you all in. They'll even teach you what you just saw." If Daud knows Billie Lurk, then he knows what he's saying.

The last part is what triggered them to just dart north in Daud's directions.

Suddenly, Daud's old friend, and former second lieutenant of his old Whalers blinked in the darkest shadow to greet him.

"It's been a good long time Daud. Thank you for saving some of that sweat." Billie greets.

"Don't thank me Billie, just don't ask for my help again." Daud shoots at her.

"Okay, okay. If that's the case, then I guess you can still keep this under your jacket." Billie pauses to see Daud's eyebrow go up. "The rest of your old whalers came to me, and told me everything. I… I'm glad you're still alive. So I guess my time to take your role, is here?"

Daud just stands there with no answer, until he opens his mouth "You tell me?"

She just smiles and nods "Well, I'm sure I'll be a bigger assassin than you ever were. It's not just the Whalers that came to me, I managed to forge an alliance with the Brigmore witches."

Now Daud's face gets longer in astonishment. "Well then… In that case, you are going to be bigger, let's just hope you don't make my mistakes, or drag me into it." Then his memories of the Empress boil in his mind.

"I don't plan on killing anyone. It's high time we assassins learn how to not use blades as weapons, but as shields. Besides, I think we're going to be much bigger than you think, especially with this." Billie then shows Daud a real surprise. She now bares the Outsider's mark.

"Are you done impressing me?! You have more important matters to attend. Me? I have a life to live." Daud tries to regain his composure.

"Okay. Just know, we'll keep our eyes on you." Billie warns, but all Daud does is chuckle.

"You can try?"

* * *

(8 years later, today.)

Daud rests easily in his own lap of luxury, watching the sun rise from the oceans is a real treat.

According to the public speakers around town, they've been hearing reports of missing gang leaders. Those dangerous, merciless kinds of leaders. The smart ones are usually untouched, either because they're not involved or they were the ones who hired the "Syndicates". Daud knows this work all too well, It's Billie's group of assassins. She wasn't wrong about being bigger. Daud heard reports of the same thing all across the Isles. He'd be proud, but that life is all behind him now.

He goes back inside his estate to pour himself another drink, but begins to feel a presence. A feeling he knows all too well, but it's something sloppy, and he knows it. He turns around to find an assassin of Billie's, he's dressed in a dark green robe, but no mask.

"Mentor Daud!" The assassin bows in respect to the assassin who taught their own master.

Daud rolls his eyes "Rise." The young assassin stands up from his bow "What do you need?"

"Billie asked me to bring you to the void, by the order of the Outsider."

Daud's looks shocked, he hasn't seen the Outsider or heard from him in years. "How are we to go to the void? Only the Outsider himself can bring us. Unless…"

The young assassin makes his statement "That's right! Since you've brought down Delilah, the old Brigmore witches came through on how to create a door to the Void. Ugh I'm Daniel by the way, I too am invited to the void. In fact, you saved me from the slavers, I don't think you remember me, but I was always in your debt."

"Whatever, just take us to the void?" Daud spits.

Daniel holds out a rock, it's shining the same purple glow from the old Lantern Daud used to find Delilah. It grew brighter, and then suddenly they arrived in the void. Same place as usual, empty, and floating objects everywhere.

The Outsider is already with Billie.

"Daud, my old friend. Believe me, you don't interest me anymore, but you are one that's involved with this more than anyone around me. Even myself."

"What do you mean by that?" Daud sounds a bit scared, the Outsider is involved with something, that he didn't start.

"Now, now, we'll get to the questions later. Right now, I need to get our last two guests." He's already halfway fading.

"Wait, who else is there to get?!" Daud asks.

"Oh Daud, isn't it obvious? Corvo and Emily." Daud's eyes dropped loose suddenly.

* * *

**Long, but fast going. Now I may have to edit this, but it's still here. Again PM's and Reviews are welcome.**

**Funfact: At first I was going to give him a family, but that seems a bit... I dunno, but I trashed the idea.**

**Now, you know what, I talked with my friend Lavendar fox, and I decided to go back to Borderlands New Faces New Tyrant, and it pains me to say this, but i'll be posting a few reedits for the 4th time. Still I'll let you know when their ready.**


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